Motor drive fob printing and issuing



June 19, 1945. 1-. A. KEEN ETAL 2,373,709

MOTOR DRIVE FOR PRINTING AND ISSUING MACHINES Original Filed Aug. '7, 1939 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTORS THOMAS A. KEEN muss K/LBUEG June 19, 1945. A. KEEN ET AL MOTOR DRIVE FOR PRINTING AND ISSUING MACHINES Original Filed Aug. 7, 1939 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 L\\ i/ v INVENTORS A. KEEN THOMAS fAME$ K741941126 BY A 7' TOR/V5 Y5.

June 1945. T. A. KEEN ET AL MOTOR DRIVE FOR PRINTING AND ISSUING MACHINES 7 Original Filed Aug. 7, 1939 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 -IHI II I

INVENTORS fi-IO MAS A, KEEN 8%4 M58 K/LeuRe Patented June 19, 1945 Thomas A. Keen, San Mateo, and James Kilburg, Redwood City, Calif., asslgnors, by direct and mesne assignments, of one-hall to said Keen and one-half to Hannah M. Smith, Chicago, 111.

Original application August 7, 1939, Serial No.

288,840. Divided and this'application October I 13, 1341, Serial No. 414,828

4 Claims.

The present invention relates to a motor drive and transmission mechanism for a ticket printing and issuing machine or the like, and this application is a division of our co-pending application entitled Ticket printing and issuing machine, filed August 7, 1939, Serial No. 288,840.

Inthe said co-pending application we. disclose a ticket printing and issuing machine which functions at the will of the operator to print tickets bearingdata such as the number of a race and entry therein, the date, and a code character A further and more specific object'of the invention is to provide, in a power transmission of this kind, a Geneva type of movement for imparting uni-directional movement of a rotary shaft to identifying'the ticket with the particular race for which it was printed. In this machine, as in substantially all machines designed for the issuance of tickets or receipts for bets under the parimutuel system required by law in many territories, the number to be printed upon the ticket, which signifies the entry upon which the bet has been made, is selected by the operator who, at the time of such selection, also initiates an operation of the machine to'print and issue the proper ticket. In the machine disclosed in the application of which the present application is a division, a numbered keyboard is provided for selection of the number of the entry to be printed on the ticket and'depression of any one of the keys on r such board efiects positioning of a cam which is thereafter power driven to control the position of a printing head bearing numbers corresponding to the numbers on the keys. This printing head is rotated by power to bring it into position wherein its type, selected by depression of a key, will effect printing when a platen, also power driven, is moved toward the printing head to press against it a ticket strip to be printed upon. Movement of this ticket strip is also effected by power, as are the movements of a coordinated ticket strip advancing mechanism and a shear which severs the ticket from the strip after the printing has been accomplished. A power driven ejection roller operates to discharge 'the printed and severed ticket from the machine.

It is the object of the present invention to provide a motor drive and transmission for use in a machine of this general character which will produce the necessary motion in an eificient alternate movement in opposite directions of a second shaft with intermediate dwell periods, and with the speed of the movement between said dwell periods occurring at a constant rate, as distinguished from the decelerated and accelerated motion produced by conventional Geneva movements.

Further objects and advantages of the invention are made apparent inthe following specification, wherein the motor drive and transmission of the present invention are disclosed in a typical installation.

While the present disclosure illustrates the application of this invention to a specific type of ticket printing and issuing machine, it is capable of application to other machines, and the specific structure and functions oi this machine are not to be considered as a part of this invention, as the same may be applied to various types of machines where similar power driven movement is required.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a side elevation of a ticket printing and issuing machine, typical of the kind in which the motor drive of the present invention may be used, with a'portion of the casing broken away to disclose portions of the motor drive mechanism;

Fig. 2 is a view somewhat similar to Fig, 1, with the drive mechanism illustrated in section taken on line Il -II of Fig. 3;

' Fig. 3 is a view of the drive mechanism looking up from the bottom of the machine;

Fig. 4 is a sideelevation of Geneva gears whic form a part of the drive'mechanism; and

Fig. 5 is aside elevation of another of said gears.

The machine in which the present motor drive is illustrated is shown in the drawings as comprising a main case i0 on top of which is disposed a cover it which encloses the printing mechanism disposed above the case and beneath which is a motor housing l2. generally cylindrical printing head mounted for rotation with a shaft H which carries peripherally spaced type characters 31'. The printing head is rotatable by means of the shaft l? to bring any selected one of the type characters 37 to a position directly beneath the shaft ll, which is its printing position.

A selector stop plate 54, associated with the portion of the printing head which carries the Beneath the cover it is a movement by means of a selectormechanism not shown, which operates under influence of a bank of keys I which are numbered to correspond with the type characters 31 on the printing head sothat depression of any key effects control of the movement of the printing head to bring the correspondingly numbered type character into printing position.

' When the proper character has been positioned for printing, a printing platen 350, which is supported on a frame 351, is swung upwardly to press a ticket strip 29! into contact with the type character and effect printing. frame 35l is supported on arms 352 (see Fig. 3) which extend ""rea wardly and arepivotallysupported on a' shaft 330. Fingers 353dep end from the arms 352 and present low. ends positioned for engagement by cams, presently to be described, which impart the necessary swinging movement to the platen frame. I

The ticket strip 29l enters the machine on the bottom between guide plates 300 and 30l and is led over a feeding drum 302 (see Fig. 3) which is provided with spaced feeding teeth 303 which register with perforations on the ticket strip so that upon rotation of the drum, the strip is advanced and the end which underlies the printing head and has been printed upon, is projected to a position where it may be sheared and ejected from the machine.

The printing drum 302 is fixed to a shaft 323 upon which a gear 322 is rotatably mounted. A ratchet 325 is also secured to this shaft so that pawl 323, pivoted to the side of the gear 322, engages with this ratchet to advance the same and the ticket feeding drum, to feed the ticket strip one ticket length upon rotation in a counterclockwise direction of a quadrant 32 l, which meshes with the gear .322. Upon clockwise rotation of the quadrant, which occurs prior to the clockwise movement Just mentioned, the pawl 325 rides over the ratchet 325 and a spring pawl 323 engages the ratchet to prevent reverse movement thereof. This feeding movement of the ticket strip follows the ticket printing operation so that the newly printed ticket at the end of the strip is fed through an opening 303 in a shear head 309, which carries a blade 3l3 adapted to cooperate with auhardened insert 3H to shear the ticket. V

The shear head is supported for rocking movement on shaft 330 and carries a tall 33! which is engageable by a cam, as hereinafter described, to rock the shear head and cause the blade 3I0 to shear the ticket from the strip positioned below the shear head 309, and normally tends to swing it upwardly about its pivotal support on the shaft 330. An idler roller 334 is also carried than that it is illustrative of the type of mechanism ,with which the present motor drive and transmission mechanism is intended to be used. The power is supplied, as illustrated in Fig. 1,

by a continuously operating electric motor 400 enclosed in the motor housing l2 which depends from the bottom of the main case M. Through suitable reduction gears enclosed in a housing 4!, at one end of the motor, a sprocket 402 is driven, and through a chain 403 leading over an idler roller 404, continuous rotation is imparted to a sprocket 405 secured to the outer member of a clutch 406 (see also Fig. 3). -The inner or driven member of this clutch is fixed to and rotatable with the main shaft 333. The clutch 403 is a single cycle clutch, preferably of the over-running roller type, described in detail in our copending application above referred to, though other types of single cycle clutches may be used in its place. Upon initiation of a ticket printing operation, the clutch is engaged through mechanism hereinafter described for a single cycle to impart a single complete rotation to the main shaft 333. From the rotation of this shaft is taken the power for performing all of the principal functions of the ticket printing and issuing machine.

Referring to Fig. 3, in which the cam shaft 333 is illustrated as viewed from the bottom of the machine, a sprocket 401 is shown as keyed to the shaft and as driving a chain 408 which is trained over and drives a sprocket 409 on a shaft 4l0, which shaft also carries a gear 4 meshing with a gear 4l2 keyed to a shaft 3 upon which is mounted the ejector roller 3l2 (see Fig. 2). The main shaft 333 also carries (see Figs. 2 and 3) a pair of platen actuating cams 354 which, upon rotation of the shaft 333, engage the fingers 353 of the platen frame, thus swinging the platen upwardly about its pivot 330 to printing position.

The ticket shearing knife is actuated by a cam 332 also carried on the shaft 333. This cam engages upon rotation with the tail 33f which depends from the shear head, rocking the head about its pivot 330 to shear the ticket strip and at the same time to effect ejection of the sheared ticket by pressing it between the idler 334 and the rotating ejecting roller 3l2.

A counter-shaft 320 supports the quadrant 32f which drives the strip feeding mechanism above described, and which also imparts timed rotation in opposite directions to the shaft 11, which supports the printing head. For the latter purpose, the shaft ll carries a, gear 2| meshing with by the shear head 309 and upon rocking movement thereof presses the ticket into engagement with aconstantly rotating ejector roller 2, so that the sheared ticket is advanced through a delivery slot 3 I 3.

The mechanism thus far briefly described is identical with'that illustrated in application Serial No. 288,840, of which this is a division, and forms no part of the present invention other an idler gear 21a which, in turn, meshes with the quadrant 32!. This counter-shaft 320 is connected with the main shaft 333 through the medium of a double-acting Geneva movement mounted on. another counter-shaft which, for convenience, will be referred to as the Geneva shaft 414. The outer end of this Geneva shaft 4 carries a sprocket 4l5 (see Fig. 3), which drives a chain 4l6, which chain leads to the forward end of the machine, and transmits power to the selector mechanism, not shown, which functions under control of the keys I20.

The Geneva movement, interposed between the main shaft 333 and the counter-shaft 320, is especially designed to transmit the uni-directional motion of the main shaft to rotation in opposite directions of the counter-shaft with intermediate dwell periods. As shown in Figs. 2 and 3, the main shaft carries a gear 425 meshing with a gear 426 which rotates freely on the Geneva shaft 4 and which carries with it a Geneva driving member 421 adapted to drive a Geneva driven member 428 in one direction. Also carried by the main shaft is a gear 429 which, through a pinion 438, drives a gear 43l fixed to the Geneva shaft and carrying a Geneva member 432 like the member 421, but rotating in the opposite direction to impart such rotation to the Geneva driven member 428.

The construction of the driving and 'the driven members of the Geneva movement is illustrated in Figs. 4 and 5. In Fig. 4, the driven member 428 is shown in registry with the driving member 432. The driving member 421, shown in Fig.5, lies directly behind the member 432 and rotates oppositely thereto and in a different phase posi tion, its relative phase position being that shown in Fig. 5. The driven member 428 comprises a gear segment 435 at opposite ends of which are recesses 43!; and 431 cut arcuatel'y to the pitch diameter of the driving members 421 and 432.

Each of these driving members has a set of gear teeth 438 out to mesh with the teeth 435 of the driven member during a portion of their rotation and at both ends of the teeth 438 are peripheral surfaces 439 and 448 formed on the pitch diameter of the teeth 438 for registry with the recesses 436 and 431 on the driven member to cause the same to dwell when the teeth of the driving members are not in driving engagement with the teeth of the driven member. The remainder of the periphery of each of the driving members is cut awayfor clearance, as shown at 44!, to permit free rotation of the driven member while the other driving member is in mesh with the driven member .and rotating it.

As viewed in Fig. 4, the driving member 432 rotates continuously in counter-clockwise direction during rotation of the main shaft. In the position shown, its teeth 438 have just left their mesh with the teeth 435 of the driven member, during which mesh the driven member was rocked in a clockwise direction to impart clockwise rotation to the shaft 328 which, as has been described, rotates the shaft l1 of the printing head to permit selection of the type to be printed. In the posiposition and to advance the ticket strip through the medium of the quadrant 32l, gear 322, pawl 326, and ratchet 325 which, as previously described, rotates the feed drum 382. The driving 458 urges the pawl to the left and to a position v members 421 and 432 are identical in shape but operate in opposite directions to rock the shaft 328 intermittentlyin opposite directions and to cause it to dwell between its rocking motions.

The Geneva movement, just described, provides a decided advantage in a machine of this character because it is considerably smaller in over-all dimensions than a conventional pin and slot Geneva that would be required to perform this function, and the rocking movement of the driven member is maintained at a constant speed while the gears of the Geneva members are ininesh, whereas in the conventional pin and slot was of Geneva, the movement of the driven member deceleraies and accelerates during each operation, due to the fact that the pin of the driving member varies in its position with respect to the center of the driven member.

The cycle of operation of the power transmission mechanism above described is controlled by the operator of the machine and is preferably initiated by depression of any one of the selector keys I28. The main clutch 486 is normally disengaged but permitted to engage for a single cycle to impart a complete rotation to the main drive shaft 333 once for each ticket printing operation of the machine. This clutch, as illustrated in Fig, 1, includes a lug 445 which, when detained, prevents engagement of the clutch. The hooked end 446 of a lever 441 pivotally supported at 448, normally engages behind this lugto prevent engagement of the clutch. Upon raising of the hooked end of this lever momentarily to clear the lug 445, the clutch engages and drives the main shaft 333 until the lug 445 makes a complete revolution and again comes into contact substantially perpendicular to the lever 441, at which position it stops by reason of a shoulder 45l which engages with the bottom of the lever. The pawl thus normally assumes the position illustrated, but is free to swing to the right against thetension of the spring 458.-

A solenoid 452 has a retractable armature 453 pivoted to a lever 454 which is, in turn, pivoted as at 455 at one end and engages with the pawl 449 at its opposite end. A spring 468 tends to hold the armature and the lever 454 upwardly in a position limited by a stop tail 46! on the lever. The solenoid 452 is energized by closing of a switch (not shown) which, as stated, is preferably closed on depression of any one of the keys I28. 'Energization of the solenoid retracts the armature which, through the lever 454 and pawl 449, swings the lever 441. about its pivot 448 to raise its end 446 free of the lug 445. The end of the pawl 449 swings away from the lever 454 during this operation, its movement being on an arc struck from the center of the pivot 448. Consequently, a single cycle operation is assured even though the operator should fail to release the key which effects energization of the solenoid.

If, due to such improper operation, the armature and lever 454 remain in their down position, the spring 458 returns the pawl 449 and the lever 441 to normal and, in being returned, the pawl 448 rides over the end of the lever 454. Upon subsequent de-energization of the solenoid, the lever 454 .will rise about its pivot under tension of the spring 468 and in so doing its end will swing the pawl out of the way and come to rest in the position illustrated. Thus, closing of the switch which energizes the solenoid 452 effects an engagement of the clutch 486 for a, single cycle during which the transmission will distribute power to the various parts of the machin to complete a single ticket printing and issuing operation.

To insure against rebound or any reverse movementtaking place through the clutch, the cam 382 (see Fig. 2) which operates the shear arm at the end of the cycle of operation, comes to rest in the position shown, directly beneath the tail 335 of the shear head, which tail locks it, and consequently the shaft 338, against reverse move= ment. This serves to prevent chattering and to reduce friction between the clutch parts while it is disengaged or in its idling position.

Having thus described our invention, what we claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In a power transmission for a ticket printing machine or the like, mechanism for transmitting rotary motion to alternate opposite movements which comprises a driven member, and a pair of identical driving members rotatable in opposite directions on a common. axis and having gear teeth arranged to mesh during a part of their rotation with the teeth on the driven member, each of said driving members having peripheral portions registering with arcuate recesses on the periphery of the driven member at timed injtervals to cause the driven member to dwell bewhich comprises a driven member, a pair 0! Mom tical driving members rotatable in opposite directions on a common axis and having gear teeth arranged to mesh during a part of their rotation with the teeth on the driven member, each of said driving members having peripheral portions registering with arcuate recesses on the periphery of the driven member at timed intervals to cause the driven member to dwell between its movement in opposite directions, and each of said driving membershaving a relieved space on its periphery to clear the teeth of the driven member to permit it to be independently driven by the other driving member.

aavswoe 3. In amachine of the character described, mechanism for transmitting continuous rotary movement to intermittent rotary movement in opposite directions which comprises a rotatable driven member having gear teeth formed along a portion of its periphery and an arcuate recess adjacent said teeth, a rotary drive member having teeth adapted to mesh with the teeth of the driven member and a segment of its periphery adapted to register with the recess in the periphery of the driven member to cause it to dwell during a portion of the cycle of the driving member, and a second similar drive member rotating opposite to the first and meshing with the driven member after its dwell period.

4. In a power transmission for a ticket printing machine or the like, mechanism for transmittin rotary motion to alternate opposite movements which comprises a rotatable segmentally toothed driven member, a pair of segmentally toothed drive members rotatable on a common axis in opposite directions and engaging with the teeth of the driven member to drive it alternately in opposite directions, said driven member having arcuate recesses, one adjacent each end of its toothed portion, formed at the pitch diameter of the driving members, and said driving members having peripheral surfaces at their pitch diameters to register with said recesses and compel the driven member to dwell between its driven movements.

' THOMAS A. KEEN.

JAMES KILBURG. 

